1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to kaleidoscopes and more particularly to a kaleidoscope with improved objective illumination.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Kaleidoscopes of various forms and embodiments are known in the art to include assemblies provided with a tubular body part having an eye piece at one end ("viewing end") and a rotatable head at the other end ("objective end"). The body part ("opaque cylinder") has a V-shaped reflector mounted in it to extend between the viewing end and the object enclosure end opposite thereto. The reflector generally defines an opening adjacent the end opposite the eye piece, the field of vision observed through the eye piece being restricted along the reflector. At the object enclosure end usually a transparent enclosure section containing a number of pattern producing objects or particles is provided. As the transparent enclosure is rotated as part of the rotatable head, which is conventionally hand-gripped for direct rotation through a large gripping ring projecting externally relative the body, the pattern producing objects tumble in front of the second opening with the real image observed there combining with the mirror images from the reflector to produce the well-known illusionary image at the eye piece.
Various attempts have been made to vary the conventional kaleidoscope assembly to facilitate its manufacture, to improve the image produced and to make the kaleidoscope physically more attractive to the user. For the most part these assemblies have been complex and expensive to manufacture and yet have not necessarily improved the produced image.